Key transposing harmonica



Sept. 22, 1964 A. A. KRAFT 3,149,527

KEY TRANSPOSING HARMONICA Filed Oct. 50, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ARN/UR A. KRAFT AGEA/T Sept. 22, 1964 A. A. KRAFT 3,149,527

KEY TRANSPOSING HARMONICA Filed 001'.. 50, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 70 9, 75 /5 20 /3 72 1,11 r` FIG Z 1:12,-, #7," 3f' 56 32 26 /e' l l 7g3 45 Il'. @f4 62 56 5@ a5 "i //l 50 .56 Era. f4; ,//5 f/ g @11H3 -f @5G55 f 24 .FZ-ra. .9. A20) /9 2 United States Patent O 3,149,527 KEY TRANSPOSEN G HARMONICA Arthur A. Kraft, 3571 Crestmore Road, Riverside, Calif., assigner of forty-nine percent to Bessie Yadon, Riverside, Calif.

Filed Oct. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 148,476 3 Claims. (Cl. 84--377) The present invention relates generally to musical instruments, and more particularly to a key-transposing harmonica, which may be played in any desired key within the range of the instrument.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a key-transposing harmonica in which the key may be changed by merely depressing one or more of several control buttons projecting from the ends of the instrument.

Another object of the invention is to provide a keytransposing harmonica having a range of at least three, and preferably four consecutive keys, such as G-ilat, G, A-tlat, and A for example.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a harmonica of the class described which is easy and convenient to play, and which can be shifted instantly from one key to another for the purpose of obtaining semitones.

A further object of the invention is to provide a keytransposing harmonica which is compact, simple in construction, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the yfollowing detailed description of the preferred embodimentvthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a key-transposing harmonica embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the same;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken at 3-3 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cut-away vie of the shift bar and slide return spring, showing one of the slides displaced to the left-hand position;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, showing the slide displaced to the right-hand position;

FIGURE 6 is a transverse sectional view, taken at 6 6 in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged transverse view through the harmonica, taken at 7-7 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is an elevational view of the mouthpiece;

FIGURE 9 is an elevational view of the mouthpiece slide;

FIGURE l0 is an elevational view of the plate beneath the slide of FIGURE 9; and

FIGURES 1l, l2, 13 and 14 are schematic views, showing the route taken by air blown into the instrument by the player, with the several shift bars and slides depressed in ditlerent directions and combinations.

In the drawings, the harmonica of the present invention comprises an elongated body 10, consisting of an upper section I1 and a lower section 12. Mounted along the top edge of the upper section I1 is a mouthpiece 13 which is secured by screws (not shown) extending through screw holes 14 in the mouthpiece and threaded into the upper section 11. The mouthpiece 13 is provided with a plurality of equidistant, longitudinally spaced openings 15.

The upper section 11 is preferably moulded of plastic, such as nylon or the like, and is provided with two laterally spaced rows of separate, individual air passageways 16 and 17, which are arranged side by side in pairs that diverge downwardly from the top edge of the upper section to the bottom edge thereof. Each pair of passage- Patented Sept. 22., 1964 ways in the two rows 16 and 17 is aligned with a corresponding opening 15 in the mouthpiece, and thus each of the two rows 16 and 17 has the same number of air passageways as there are openings 15 in the mouthpiece.

Slidably mounted on the upper body section 11 between the bottom surface of the mouthpiece 13 and an underlying strip 18 is a slide 19, which extends longitudinally of the harmonica body 10 from one end thereof to the other. The slide 19 is preferably in the form of a ilat strip of brass or stainless steel, having two later-ally spaced rows of square openings 2t) and 21 provided therein, which are staggered with respect to one another, as shown in FIGURE 9, Each of the two rows of openings 20 and 21 corresponds in number and spacing to the number and spacing of the mouthpiece openings 15, but the openings are somewhat smaller in dimension so that the blank space between them is slightly greater than the width of the openings.

Directly beneath the slide 19 is a strip 18 which, as shown in FIGURE 10, is provided with two rows of transversely aligned apertures 22 and 23, of approximately the same dimensions and spacing as the openings 20 and 21 in the slide. Each of the apertures 22 opens into a corresponding passageway 17 in the upper section 11 of the body, while each of the apertures 23 opens into a corresponding passageway 16. The pairs of apertures 22, 23 are spaced apart a slightly greater distance than the width of the apertures, so that when either row of slide openings 2i), 21 is in register with its corresponding row of apertures 22, 23, the other row of openings is closed otf by the spaces between its corresponding row of apertures. The slide 19 is movable between two longitudinally spaced positions, in one of which positions the slide openings 20 register with apertures 22 to direct the breath of the player into air passageways 17, while slide openings 21 are closed, and in the other position of the slide, openings 21 register with apertures 23 to direct the players breath into air passageways 16, while slide openings 20 are closed.

The slide 19 extends all of the way through the harmonica body from one end thereof to the other, and projects outwardly beyond the said ends. Attached to the projecting outer ends of the slide are control buttons 24 and 25, which are adapted to be pressed inwardly by the player to shift the slide 19 between the aforementioned two positions so as to direct air to one or the other of the two rows of air passageways 16 and 17. The slide 19 is selectively spring-pressed toward one or the other of the said two positions by spring means 26, consisting of a wire spring having a helically coiled center portion 27 and two upwardly projecting ends 3l) and 31. The spring 26 is mounted on a spring holder 32, which is preferably formed out of sheet metal bent into the form of an inverted U, with a central aperture 33 in the fold, through which the two ends 30 and 31 of the spring project. The spring holder 32 is pivoted on a pin 34 for rocking movement between two angularly spaced positions corresponding to those shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, respectively. FIGURES 4 and 5 show the slide and shifting mechanism for one of the units in the lower body section 12, and therefore differ in some respects from the mechanism associated with slide 19, but the action is substantially the same. It is therefore felt that reference to FIG- URES 4 and 5 will be helpful to an understanding of the mechanism of slide 19, even though they are not the same mechanisms.

The two ends 30, 31 of the spring pass upwardly through a slot 35 in the slide 19, and one or the other of the spring ends is adapted to engage the adjacent end of the slot 35 to urge the slide 19 in one direction or the the other. When the holder 32 is in the position shown in FIGURE 4, spring end 30 engages the left-hand end 13 of the slot 35, urging the slide 19 towards the left. When the spring holder 32 is in the position shown in FIGURE 5, spring end 31 engages the right-hand end of the slot 35 to urge the slide i9 toward the right.

The spring holder 32 is selectively moved to one or the other of its two positions and held therein, by means of a control member 36, which is preferably in the form of a bar extending through a channel in the center portion of the upper body section ll from one end of the harmonica body to the other. The ends of the bar 3o are turned upwardly and provided with end portions and 4l which are adapted to b 'pressed inwardly by the thumb or lingers of the player to shift the control member from one of its control positions to the other.

Pivotally mounted on the control member 36, at d2 and 43, are two links 44 and 45. The links 44 and 45 are provided with open-end slots 46 and d'7, respectively, in their outer ends, and these openend slots slidably receive pins 50 and 51 which pass through the holder 32 from one end thereof to the other on opposite sides of the pivot pin 34. Thus7 when the control member 36 is in the position shown in FIGURE 3, the link 44 stands substantially vertically, with the pin Sil seated in the bottom end of the slot 46. In this position, the holder 32 is rocked over to its right-hand position, and is prevented from turning in the counter-clockwise direction. When the holder 32 is at the right-hand position, spring end 3l is pushed inwardly from the end of the aperture 33 by the slide 19, and thus exerts spring pressure toward the right against the slide. In like manner, when the holder 32 is at the left-hand position, as shown iii FIGURE 4, spring end Sil is pushed inwardly from the end of the aperture 33 by the slide 19, and thus exerts a spring pressure toward the left against the slide. Thus, when the control member 36 is depressed toward the left, the spring 25 causes the slide 19 to be displaced toward the right, and when the control member 36 is pressed toward the right, the spring 26 causes the slide to be displaced toward the left.

The lower section l2 of the harmonica body is cornprised of two laterally spaced similar portions S6 and 57, which might be termed reed plate blocks, since each of them has a pair of reed plates attached to opposite sides thereof. The two reed plates of portion S6 are designated by the reference numerals 58 and 59, while the reed plates of portion 57 are designated 6u and 61. Each of the reed plates has a plurality of reeds 62 alixed thereto, which are tuned to a diatonic scale. The four reed plates 53, 59, 6l) and 61 cover four consecutive keys, such as G-ilat, G, A-ilat and A, respectively, for example.

Reed plate block 56 has two laterally spaced rows of separate, individual air passageways 63 and 64 provided therein, which extend downwardly from the top edge of the block 56 to the corresponding reeds of the adjacent reed plate. ln like manner, block S7 has two laterally spaced rows of air passageways 65 and 66 which extend down from the top edge thereof to the corresponding reeds of the adjacent reed plates 6d and 6l. Each of the reed plates is apertured in the usual manner, so that air blown through the passageways 63, 64, d and 66 passes through the reeds, causing them to vibrate at their tuned frequency. Some of the reeds 62 sound when the air is blown outwardly through the reed plates, while others sound when the air is drawn inwardly through the reed plates, as is conventional with harmonicas.

Means is provided for selectively directing air passing through the passageways 69 in the upper body section ll to either row 63 or 64 of air passageways in reed plate block 56. Other means is provided for selectively directing the air from the row of passageways i7 in the upper body section 11 to either row of passageways 65 and 66 in block 57. The means for selectively directing the air to one reed plate or the other of each of the reed plate blocks 56 and 57 is the same for both portions, and therefore the description of one such means will be understood to apply also to the other.

FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 show the mechanism for reed plate block 56, which is virtually identical to the corresponding mechanism previously described in connection with the upper section il. Since the slide, spring-pressing means, spring holder, and control member are substantially the same as in the previously described mechanism, the same reference numerals have been given to the parts that correspond, except that the prime suihx has been added to the reference numerals for reed plate block 56, and the double prime sufx has been added to the reference numerals for reed plate block 57.

Slides 19 and i9 are slidably coniined between an upper plate '7tl and a lower plate 7l, said plates 70 and "il being clamped together along their outer Vedges by two C-shaped clamping strips 72, the edges or which are received within shallow grooves in the edges of the plates. The bottom plate '7l has two laterally spaced, shallow, longitudinally extending channels 73 provided in the top surface thereof, and the slides i9 and i9 are received within these channels for snug sliding engagement.

Each of the slides 19', i9 is formed of flat strip brass or stainless steel, and is provided with two laterally spaced rows of openings which are staggered with respect to one another, in exactly the same manner as the openings 2Q, 21 of slide i9, as shown in FlGURE 9. Both the upper and lower plates 7u and 7l are provided with two double rows of apertures 74 and, each of said double rows of apertures being disposed in vertical gnment with the two rows of openings in their respective slides l and i9. rhe two double rows of apertures 74%, 75 are spaced apart and arranged in pairs of transversely aligned apertures, similar to the arrangement shown in FIGURE 10, so that when the slides i9 or 119 are at one position, the openings Ztl and 2d register with their respective apertures 74, and when the slides are at the other position, the openings 2l or 2l register with their respective apertures '75. ln each case, Awhen one of the rows of openings 2Q', 2l or 2li, 2l is registered with its respective row of apertures 74 or 75, the other row of openings is blanked off. Control buttons 2d and 25' are attached to opposite ends of slide 19', while control buttons 24 and 25" are attached to opposite ends of slide 19".

Each of the slides 19 and l9" is selectively springpressed toward one or the other of its two positions by means similar to the spring means 25 of slide i9. As best shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, spring pressure against the slide 19' is effected by means of a wire spring 26 having two upwardly projecting ends 30 and 3l which extend through a slot 3S in the slide i9. The spring 26 is held by a spring holder 32 which is pivoted on a pivot pin 34'.

The spring holders 32 and 32 are selectively rocked to one or the other of their two positions and held therein, by means of control members 3d and 3d, each of which is likewise in the form of a bar extending through a channel in the center portion of its respective member 56, 57, from one end thereof to the other. The ends of the bars 36 and 3d are provided with end portions dit',

4l and dll, 4l, respectively, which are adapted to be pressed inwardly by the player to shift the control members from one position to the other and thereby rock the spring holder' so as to displace the associated slide 19', 19 in the opposite direction and thereafter exert a spring pressure against the slide, yieldingly holding the same at its newly selected position.

Links d4 and 45 are pivoted on pins 42 and 43', respectively, and the ends of these pins are secured in a U-haped bracket 76 (see FlGURE 6) attached to the control member 3o at the right-hand end thereof. The ends of the links and d5 are provided with open end slots 46 and 47', respectively, and these open end slots slidably receive pins Sti and 5l which pass through the holder 3?; from one side thereof to the other. The spring holder and control member 36" for reed plate block 57 are identical to the construction just described.

The operation of the control members 36' and 36" as well as the slides 19 and 19 is exactly the same as the operation of control member 36 and slide 19. When either of the `control members 36', 36" is pushed inwardly from one end thereof, the spring holder 31', 32" is rocked over from one position to the other, causing the slide 19', 19 to be displaced in the opposite direction that the control member 36', 36" is displaced.

The two reed plate blocks 56 and 57 of the lower body section 12 are joined together across their bottom edges by means of a bottom plate 80 having an aperture 81 in its mid-section through which the air passing through reed plates 59 and 60 exhausts into the atmosphere. A separator 82 extends centrally through the lower section 12 between the reed plates 59, 60, to prevent air passing through one of the reed plates from vibrating the reeds of the other. Each of the outer reed plates 58 and 61 is covered by an outwardly flared sheet metal skirt 83, which serves to protect the reeds and also to amplify the sound produced thereby.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Assume first that the three control buttons 25, 25 and 25 at the right-hand end of the harmonica are all in the out position, with the control members 36, 36' and 36" projecting toward the left. In this condition, air blown through the openings 15 in the mouthpiece 13 is directed into the air passageways 17 and thence through openings 26" of slide 19" into air passageways 66 to actuate the reeds 62 of reed plate 61. The path followed by the air is shown schematically in FIGURE l1. With the reed plates 58, 59, 60 and 61 tuned to the keys of G-flat, G, A-iiat and A, respectively, as in the example described herein, the instrument would be played in the key of A when the control buttons are in the positions described. Pressing control button 25" to the left, as viewed in FIG- URE 3, causes the air from passageways 17 to be directed into the row of passageways 65, where it actuates the reeds of reed plate 60, as shown schematically in FIG- URE 12, causing the harmonica to play in the key of A-flat.

When control button 25 is pressed to the left, as viewed in FIGURE 3, while control button 25' projects toward the right, air blown through the openings 15 of the mouthpiece is directed into the passageways 16, and thence through openings 21' in slide 19' into the passageways 64 of reed plate block 56. In this configuration, which is shown schematically in FIGURE 13, the reeds of reed plate 59 are used, and the instrument is played in the key of G. With both of control buttons 25 and 25 depressed to the left, as viewed in FIGURE 3, air from passageways 16 is directed into passageways 63, and thus actuates the reeds of plate 58. In this configuration, which is shown schematically in FIGURE 14, the instrument is played in the key of G-iiat.

The player selects the key in which the instrument is to be played by depressing the appropriate ends 40, 41 of the control members 36, 36' or 36" so as to position the slides 19, 19' and 19" to direct the air through the desired reed plate. Since the reeds 62 of each of the reed plates are in the diatonic scale only, it is necessary to shift to an adjoining reed plate for the semi-tones, and this is done by pressing the appropriate control button 25, 25', 25". If desired, the player can shift momentarily from any one reed plate to another by pressing the appropriate control buttons 25, 25', 25" at the righthand end of the instrument, or control buttons 24, 24', 2d" at the left-hand end thereof. However, if the changeover is more than momentary, the player would normally shift the slides by pressing the control members 36, 36' or 36" of the associated slide.

While I have shown and described in considerable detail what I believe to be the preferred form of my invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the shape and arrangment of the several parts without departing from the broad scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A key-transposing harmonica comprising an elongated body having a mouthpiece extending along one edge thereof, at least two reed plates mounted side by side on said body opposite said mouthpiece, each of said reed plates having a plurality of reeds which are tuned to a diatonic scale and said reed plates covering consecutive keys, said mouthpiece being provided with a plurality of equidistantly spaced openings corresponding in number to the number of reeds on each of said reed plates, said body having two rows of air passageways formed therein which are arranged side by side and parallel to one another, each of said rows of air passageways providing communication between said mouthpiece openings and the corresponding reeds of one of said reed plates, a slide mounted on said harmonica body for longitudinal sliding movement between two positions, said slide having two staggered 4rows of holes provided therein which are arranged so that when said slide is at one of said positions one of said rows of holes is registered with one of said rows of air passageways, and when said slide is at the other of said positions, the other of said rows of holes is registered with the other of said rows of air passageways, and means for selectively springpressing said slide toward one end or the other of said harmonica body, whereby the player can shift from one reed plate to the other by pressing said slide inwardly from the end toward which the slide is spring-pressed, wherein said means for selectively spring-pressing said slide toward one end or the other of said harmonica body consists of a spring holder pivotally mounted on the harmonica body for rocking movement between angularly spaced first and second positions, a spring mounted on said holder and having its two ends projecting therefrom so as to selectively engage said slide, one of said spring ends engaging said slide and pressing the same toward one end of said harmonica body when said holder is at said first position, the other of said spring ends engaging said slide and pressing the same toward the other end of said harmonica body when said holder is at said second position, and means for rocking said spring holder from one of said positions to the other.

2. A key-transposing harmonica comprising an elongated body having a mouthpiece extending along one edge thereof, at least two reed plates mounted side by side on said body opposite said mouthpiece, each of said reed plates having a plurality of reeds which are tuned to a diatonic scale and said reed plates covering consecutive keys, said mouthpiece being provided with a plurality of equidistantly spaced openings corresponding in number to the number of reeds on each of said reed plates, said body having two rows of air passageways formed therein which are arranged side by side and parallel to one another, each of said rows of air passageways providing communication between said mouthpiece openings and the corresponding reeds of one of said reed plates, a slide mounted on said harmonica body for longitudinal sliding movement between two positions, said slide having two staggered rows of holes provided therein which are arranged so that when said slide is at one of said positions one of said rows of holes is registered with one of said rows of air passageways, and when said slide is at the other of said positions, the other of said rows of holes is registered with the other of said rows of air passageways, and means for selectively spring-pressing said slide toward one end or the other of said harmonica body, whereby the player can shift from one reed plate to the other by pressing said slide inwardly from the end toward which the slide is spring-pressed, wherein said means for selectively spring-pressing said slide toward one end or the other of said harmonica body consists of a spring holder pivoted on the harmoncia body for rocking movement between angularly spaced first and second positions, a spring mounted on said holder and having two outwardly projecting end portions which pass through a longitudinally extending slot in said slide, one of said spring end portions engaging one end of said slot to urge said slide toward one end of said harmonica body when said spring holder is rocked to said first position, the other of said spring end portions engaging the opposite end of said slot to urge said slide toward the other end of said harmonica body when said spring holder is rocked to said second position, a slidable control member extending longitudinally through the length of said harmonica body and protruding from opposite ends thereof, and means on said control member operable to rock said spring holder to said rst position when the control member is pressed inwardly from one end of said harmonica body, and to rock the spring holder to said second position when the control member is pressed inwardly from the other end of the harmonica body.

3. A key transposing harmonica comprising an elongated body having an upper section and a lower section, a mouthpiece extending along the top edge of said upper section and having a plurality of equidistantly spaced openings provided therein, said lower section having two similar portions arranged side by side, each having a pair of reed plates attached to opposite sides thereof, said upper and lower sections having air passageways provided therein whereby each of said mouthpiece openings can be connected to the corresponding reed of one or another of said reed plates, a slide associated with said upper section and operable to connect said mouthpiece openings to one or the other of said similar portions of said lower section, and other slides associated with each of said similar portions of said lower section and operable to connect said mouthpiece openings to the corresponding reeds of one or the other of the reed plates attached thereto, each of said slides being shiftable 1ongitudinally between two alternative operating positions, the ends of said slides protruding beyond the ends of said harmonica body, means associated with each of said slides for selectively spring-pressing the same toward one end or the other of said harmonica body, consisting of spring holders pivoted on the harmonica body for rocking movement between angularly spaced first and second positions, a spring mounted on each of said spring holders, and having two outwardly projecting end portions which pass through a longitudinally extending slot in its associated slide, one of said spring end portions engaging one end of said slot to urge said slide toward one end of said harmonica body when said spring holder is rocked to said first position, the other of said spring end portions engaging the opposite end of said slot to urge said slide toward the other end of said harmonica body when said spring holder is rocked to said second position, a slidable control member associated with each of said slides and extending longitudinally through the length of said harmonica body, the ends of said control members protruding beyond the ends of the harmonica body, and means on each of said control members operable to rock its' associated spring holder to said rst position when the control member is pressed inwardly from one end of the harmonica body, and to rock the spring holder to said second position when the control member is pressed inwardly from the other end of the harmonica body.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,518,257 Dusinberre Dec. 9, 1924 2,256,682 Machine Sept. 23, 1941 2,276,501 Manieri Mar. 17, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 299,801 Great Britain Aug. 8, 1929 802,306 Germany Feb. 8, 1951 

1. A KEY-TRANSPOSING HARMONICA COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY HAVING A MOUTHPIECE EXTENDING ALONG ONE EDGE THEREOF, AT LEAST TWO REED PLATES MOUNTED SIDE BY SIDE ON SAID BODY OPPOSITE SAID MOUTHPIECE, EACH OF SAID REED PLATED HAVING A PLURALITY OF REEDS WHICH ARE TUNED TO A DIATONIC SCALE AND SAID REED PLATES COVERING CONSECUTIVE KEYS, SAID MOUTHPIECE BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF EQUIDISTANTLY SPACED OPENINGS CORRESPONDING IN NUMBER TO THE NUMBER OF REEDS ON EACH OF SAID REED PLATES, SAID BODY HAVING TWO ROWS OF AIR PASSAGEWAYS FORMED THEREIN WHICH ARE ARRANGED SIDE BY SIDE AND PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER, EACH OF SAID ROWS OF AIR PASSAGEWAYS PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID MOUTHPIECE OPENINGS AND THE CORRESPONDING REEDS OF ONE OF SAID REED PLATES, A SLIDE MOUNTED ON SAID HARMONICA BODY FOR LONGITUDINAL SLIDING MOVEMENT BETWEEN TWO POSITIONS, SAID SLIDE HAVING TWO STAGGERED ROWS OF HOLES PROVIDED THEREIN WHICH ARE ARRANGED SO THAT WHEN SAID SLIDE IS AT ONE OF SAID POSITIONS ONE OF SAID ROWS OF HOLES IS REGISTERED WITH ONE OF SAID ROWS OF AIR PASSAGEWAYS, AND WHEN SAID SLIDE IS AT THE OTHER OF SAID POSITIONS, THE OTHER OF SAID ROWS OF HOLES IS REGISTERED WITH THE OTHER OF SAID ROWS OF AIR PASSAGEWAYS, AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY SPRINGPRESSING SAID SLIDE TOWARD ONE END OR THE OTHER OF SAID HARMONICA BODY, WHEREBY THE PLAYER CAN SHIFT FROM ONE REED PLATE TO THE OTHER BY PRESSING SAID SLIDE INWARDLY FROM THE END TOWARD WHICH THE SLIDE IS SPRING-PRESSED, WHEREIN SAID MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY SPRING-PRESSING SAID SLIDE TOWARD ONE END OR THE OTHER OF SAID HARMONICA BODY CONSISTS OF A SPRING HOLDER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE HARMONICA BODY FOR ROCKING MOVEMENT BETWEEN ANGULARLY SPACED FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS, A SPRING MOUNTED ON SAID HOLDER AND HAVING ITS TWO ENDS PROJECTING THEREFROM SO AS TO SELECTIVELY ENGAGE SAID SLIDE, ONE OF SAID SPRING ENDS ENGAGING SAID SLIDE AND PRESSING THE SAME TOWARD ONE END OF SAID HARMONICA BODY WHEN SAID HOLDER IS AT SAID FIRST POSITION, THE OTHER OF SAID SPRING ENDS ENGAGING SAID SLIDE AND PRESSING THE SAME TOWARD THE OTHER END OF SAID HARMONICA BODY WHEN SAID HOLDER IS AT SAID SECOND POSITION, AND MEANS FOR ROCKING SAID SPRING HOLDER FROM ONE OF SAID POSITIONS TO THE OTHER. 